Height adjustable walking aid

Abstract

A height adjustable walking aid includes an outer tube and an inner tube slidably received within the outer tube. Adjustment is made using a, actuating assembly and pin assembly. Application of an actuation force upon the actuating assembly engages a translating member within the translating rod assembly to drive a lower pin travel block of the pin assembly from a first position to a second position. A pin then travels from an extended position to a retracted position such that the inner tube may slidably translate within the outer tube.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A height adjustable walking aid selectively positionable between a collapsed orientation, an elongate orientation and a plurality of intermediate orientations therebetween, comprising:
 a) an outer tube having a top end and a bottom end and defining a pin hole proximate said bottom end; 
 b) an inner tube slidably received within said outer tube, said inner tube having an inner tube wall defining a plurality of apertures therethrough; 
 c) a translating rod assembly having a central fixed rod and a concentrically mounted translating member; 
 d) an actuating assembly including an actuating button located at said top end of said outer tube and coupled to a first end of said translating member; and 
 e) a pin assembly located at said bottom end of said outer tube and comprising:
 i) a pin adapted to selectively reciprocally translate between an extended position wherein said pin engages a selected aperture of said plurality of apertures defined within said inner tube wall and said pin hole defined in said outer tube, and a retracted position wherein said pin disengages from said pin hole defined in said outer tube; 
 ii) a pin carrier block fixedly mounted to a distal end of said central fixed rod, wherein said pin carrier block includes a pin bore dimensioned to slidably receive said pin therein and a lock pin passing through a lock pin aperture defined within said pin, wherein opposing ends of said lock pin are configured to travel within respective carrier slots defined within the pin carrier block; and 
 iii) a lower pin travel block coupled to a second end of said translating member, wherein said lower pin travel block defines travel slots therein, wherein said opposing ends of said lock pin are further configured to travel within respective travel slots within said lower pin travel block, 
 
 wherein application of an actuation force upon said actuating button engages said translating member to drive said lower pin travel block from a first position to a second position whereby said lock pin travels in said travel slots and said carrier slots to move said pin from said extended position to said retracted position such that said inner tube slidably translates within said outer tube. 
 
     
     
       2. The height adjustable walking aid of  claim 1 , further including a handle portion mounted to said top end of said outer tube, wherein said handle portion slidably secures said actuating button therein. 
     
     
       3. The height adjustable walking aid of  claim 2 , wherein said handle portion includes a button cover to prevent unwanted actuation of said actuating button. 
     
     
       4. The height adjustable walking aid of  claim 1 , wherein said actuating assembly further includes:
 i) a spring cap secured to said outer tube; 
 ii) a cap travel block defining a first bore dimensioned to receive said translating member therein, a second bore dimension for passage of said central fixed rod therethrough and an outwardly extending flanged top wall; 
 iii) a button travel spring having a first end engaging said spring cap and a second end engaging a bottom surface of said flanged top wall of said cap travel block; and 
 iv) at least one button post coupled at a first post end to said actuating button and to a top surface of said flanged top wall at a second post end, 
 wherein said application of said actuation force upon said actuating button drives said at least one button post against said cap travel block thereby charging said travel button spring with potential energy while also driving against said translating member to move said pin from said extended position to said retracted position. 
 
     
     
       5. The height adjustable walking aid of  claim 4 , wherein said pin assembly further includes a pin assembly spring between said pin carrier block and said lower pin travel block, said pin assembly spring biasing said lower pin travel block to said first position. 
     
     
       6. The height adjustable walking aid of  claim 4 , wherein said translating rod assembly further includes a lower bushing coupled to said pin carrier block and said inner tube, and a height spring mounted between said spring cap of said actuating assembly and said lower bushing, wherein said height spring biases said outer tube and said inner tube from the collapsed orientation toward the elongate orientation when said pin is in said retracted position. 
     
     
       7. The height adjustable walking aid of  claim 1 , wherein each of said outer tube and said inner tube define a generally D-shaped cross section having a curved portion and a planar portion, wherein said planar portions are adjacent one another when said inner tube is received within said outer tube. 
     
     
       8. The height adjustable walking aid of  claim 7 , wherein said plurality of apertures defined within said inner tube are located within said planar portion. 
     
     
       9. The height adjustable walking aid of  claim 1 , wherein said carrier slots are disposed at an angle relative to said travel slots.